Under the Hare's Moon
by iEvenstarEstel
Summary: Written for the LJ Comm Conbykink's April "Bunny" Prompt Challenge. When a strange new series of anomalies appear, Connor, Abby, Matt and Emily are drawn into a strange and terrifying past full of blood, sex, ritual and danger.
1. Chapter 1

Under The Hare's Moon  
2012 Evenstar Estel

Abby's little gasps and soft mewls filled Connor's lab as she clutched his shoulders, her fingers tensing and releasing around his shirts. Her forehead dropped to his and her eyes fluttered closed.

"That's _really_ good, Conn," she panted, pushing her bare breasts further into his gloved hands. The leather was cool against her skin and he'd deliberately designed them without finger tips so he could still touch flesh. It reminded her of when she'd first known him, long before they'd married. However, the gloves he wore were far from ordinary, as evidenced by the low level pulses of electricity that vibrated through her nipples and the plump globes of her naked breasts.

"Yeah?" he asked, giving her breasts a squeeze, enjoying the sensation of her diamond hard nipples against his leather clad palms. He'd invited her into his lab fifteen minutes previously, saying he'd completed his latest invention and needed a test subject and thought his new wife was perfect. The gloves weren't actually meant to be a sex toy, but rather a spin upon the EMDs, modified for hand to hand combat. The thin outer shell of the gloves were woven with filaments that could be adjusted to emit various levels of electricity, controlled by a small console along the index finder, adjustable by the thumb.

She nodded her head and moaned, feeling her core heat up and moisten. Her arousal was climbing rapidly and she rubbed her thighs together to try and quell the fires burning up inside her. She wasn't sure how much longer she could handle the sensations before she'd either come by his touch to her breasts alone, or start begging him to fuck her.

"Want more, love?" he asked with a smirk. There really was nothing Connor loved more than pleasing his beloved wife, especially when it came to their sex life. He took great pride in giving her orgasms and strove to make sure she was satisfied each and every day. Abby did the same for him. In fact, they'd both agree their relationship was sublime. They were more in love now than they'd ever been.

Abby nodded her head and whimpered. Connor abandoned her breasts and Abby let out a long, heated moan when one hand cupped between her legs and the other, her arse.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes," she hissed, pushing against his palm and widening her legs to give him full access. Connor pressed the heel of his palm against her clit and rubbed her in hard circles. Abby cried out and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and began to softly weep. "More, please. Connor!"

With a few flicks of his thumb the power increased. Sharp bolts of electricity surged straight through her clitoris and Abby felt her sex swell and begin to clench and throb. Her hips rocked against his hands and a few seconds later she moaned long and loud and went limp as her climax washed over her. Connor held her up, nuzzling his nose into her hair while the pleasure rolled through her.

After a few minutes he pulled his hands away and Abby sagged against him, holding tight around his shoulders. He powered down the gloves and stripped them off his hands, setting them on his work station. He manoeuvred Abby over to the corner and gently pushed her to lay down upon the sofa. With her blouse and bra hung open and her skin covered in a sheen of sweat, Connor was highly enticed and bent his head to capture one of her nipples between his lips as he knelt down to the floor. He suckled and moaned around the hard bud of flesh as he deftly divested her of her shoes, socks and trousers. Abby lay pliant and blissed out, allowing him to do as he wished.

Her nipple popped free and his tongue blazed a trail to down between her legs. "Look at you, you've soaked your knickers clean through," Connor admonished, lapping with his tongue at the wet silk that covered her sex. "They'll have to come off!"

Abby let out a breathy laugh as Connor pulled her ruined knickers from her body, tossing them behind him on to his work station. His hands parted her thighs, pleased to see the outer lips of her pussy sticky and shiny with her come. His hands went around and under her thighs, pulling her towards his mouth. He settled her legs over his shoulders and buried his face between them. At first he took his time, savouring her soft, warm flesh by just licking up her moisture as well as suckling and nipping at her labia as he went. Abby sighed contentedly and stroked her fingers through his hair, bucking her hips against his face, begging for more. Connor moaned appreciatively and delved deeper, snaking his tongue through the deepest part of her and sweeping up and over her hard little clit.

Connor adored the flavour of her, and even craved it. There were times he found himself driven to distraction, daydreaming of going down her when he was meant to be working out mathematical equations or something of that ilk. Too many times he and Abby had met up for trysts in the ARC, most often his lab or down in the menagerie.

As Connor probed her core with his tongue, he knew he was forgetting something. When Matt's voice came over the intercom, he and Abby both froze, looking at each other in horror at potentially getting caught.

"I said, Connor, are you there?" came Matt's voice again.

Connor cleared his throat. "Yeah, yeah Matt I'm here!" he replied breathlessly. "Was just... um... just having a spot of lunch! Sorry, me mouth was full!"

Abby rolled her eyes and he shrugged.

"Ah... yeah, we're ready in the main hub for you. Is the device ready? Have you finished your preliminary test?"

Connor smirked at Abby and she gave him a warning look.

"Um... give me about ten more minutes? Nearly ready, just about to finish off."

"Sure, mate, but Becker's getting impatient. See if you can find Abby when you're done, she doesn't seem to be in the menagerie and she's left her comm there..."

"Will do!"

The moment the comm disconnected, Connor dove back in, doubling his efforts to bring Abby to another orgasm. Abby's sounds of pleasure mounted along with the that of Connor's tongue and lips smacking and lapping at her sodden pussy. She writhed and squirmed against him as Connor ate her greedily. When his fingers came into play, two sheathing inside her heat and curling up against her top wall in search of her sweet spot, Abby's tears came on. She was overwhelmed completely when the tips of his fingers stroked against the spongy bundle of nerves deep inside her. She cried out and Connor kept on at her, urging her to another level of pleasure and he was rewarded with a drenched face and the strong spasms of her walls around his fingers. He coaxed her orgasm on for several minutes before Abby was pulling him away from her by the roots of his hair.

"I can't... can't, no more," she begged. Satisfied and satiated, Connor pulled away, swishing his tongue over her thighs to consume the last of her juices. Connor released her finally and sat back on the floor. Abby looked at him through hooded eyes and sniffled.

"You gonna make it?" he asked smugly.

"You're wicked, you know that?" she asked, wiping her tears away.

Connor looked at her spread thighs and her red, swollen sex and licked his lips. "Could spend all the hours of me day doing that."

"I don't think I could survive it!" She smiled at him, too dizzy to sit up yet.

"That good am I?" He grinned, flashing her the dimple in his left cheek.

"Normally I wouldn't indulge in stroking your ego, but yes, you really are _too_ good at it. Now go wash your face."

Connor licked his lips and smirked. "Should I? I rather like..."

"Now, Connor Temple, if you know what's good for you. I'll not have us walking down into the hub reeking of sex!"

"But I love..."

"You do want me to return the favour when we get home tonight, don't you?"

"It's hard for me to take you seriously with you naked and sweaty."

"Now!"

He chuckled and got to his feet, bending over her to kiss the tip of her nose. "You best get dressed then, hadn't you? Don't put your knickers back on. I rather like the idea of knowing you're without."

!*!*!

A few minutes later, dressed and certain they did not look like they'd just been engaging in all sorts of salacious activities in the middle of the work day, Connor and Abby walked into the main hub together. The team was waiting and Lester looked on through the glass partition, ensconced in his office. Connor watched his wife's pert bum as she walked on ahead of him before giving himself a mental shake. Ever since the day they'd exchanged rings and said their vows they'd been insatiable for each other. Both knew it was unprofessional behavior whilst at work, and so often they resisted, but so often they also gave in. They were sure to get caught one day, but at the time it was always worth the risk.

He was meant to be demonstrating the gloves, but the purveying thought on Connor's mind was that Abby wasn't wearing knickers and that her pussy was as tight as a vise. He had to stop. He didn't want an erection in front of everyone. As it was whilst he'd been washing his face, he'd had to quickly toss off into the sink after having gone down on Abby. She'd caught him in the middle of his wank and lent a hand. Two hands actually, and a few naughty words in his ear.

"Connor?" came Abby's exasperated voice. He gave his head a shake. All eyes were on him.

"Huh?" he replied, then gathered himself together. "Right, so I need a volunteer!" Abby blushed and moved swiftly to stand by Jess. Inwardly, Connor felt smug at seeing his beauty retreat from him. "Becker?"

"Not a chance!" the soldier protested, having been shot with and EMD more times than he'd care to remember.

"Matt? Come on mate, low setting!"

Matt acquiesced and stepped forwards.

"It's pretty simple really," Connor explained, slipping on the fingerless gloves and holding his hands out to show the small console that ran up from the knuckle area of the index fingers up to the middle of the digit. "You turn 'em on and off at the bottom. It reads your thumbprint, so the glove'll only work for the person they're programmed for." Connor demonstrated and the console came to life with a soft blue light. "It's touch sensitive, so you glide your thumb up or down to change the intensity of the charge it'll emit. Easy peasy!"

"And how do you avoid shocking yourself?" Becker asked with a bit of a smirk. "I see it now, you'll touch yourself or one of us by accident, and we'll be down for the count and raptor-chow."

"Have a little faith! The charge comes directly from the center of the palm and only when it touches something solid. It won't fire _at_ a creature. It's for hand to hand combat, like I said when the idea came to me. It also doesn't radiate outwards, it's a direct, forward charge. Powerful stuff, just as much as the EMDs."

Connor took a step towards Matt and held up his hand. "Just your shoulder, yeah? It's at three out of ten for intensity, won't be any more than accidentally touching a light socket, not as bad even."

Matt nodded. "I trust you. Do it," he replied. Connor pressed his hand to Matt's shoulder. The man cried out and sagged and Connor removed his hand quickly at Emily's gasp of shock upon seeing Matt's reaction.

"Alright?" Connor asked as he powered down the gloves.

Matt nodded, trying to shake some life back into his limp arm. He opened and closed his fist, trying to get some feeling back. "It's works. Good on yah, Connor."

Connor grinned and caught the look of pride shining in Abby's eyes. He waggled his eyes brows at her and she turned ten shades of red. He was definitely bringing the gloves home with them tonight. Becker was about to pose a question when the air was filled with the blaring alarm of an anomaly having opened. Lester came out of his office to hear the details.

"What have we got, Jess?" Matt asked. Connor moved past Emily to Abby's side and set his hand upon her hip, drawing her back against his body. She lay her hand over his and gave it a squeeze.

"Oh, oh that's outrageous! Twelve anomalies!" Jess exclaimed.

"Twelve!" Connor exclaimed. "Opening all at once? Where are they located?"

"An old warehouse district on the outskirts of London. At least it's away from people. Look at their formation!"

"Twelve anomalies in a circle..." Connor examined the map on the screen before him. "That's too strange, too rare for them to just be random. Do we even have twelve locking mechanisms?"

"We do now, thanks to the fiasco with New Dawn," Becker provided. "I'll get my men on it. Downstairs in two minutes!" With that he was off, followed soon after by the rest of the team after they'd grabbed comms and black boxes.

As the team sped towards the site, Connor looked over the data on his tablet computer, which was linked up with the ADD at the ARC. He wished he had more time to analyze the data on hand, but part of him was quite excited to see this new bizarre phenomenon. Twelve anomalies had opened in the formation of a perfect circle and it boggled his mind. He wanted to take a thousand different types of readings. Another part of him was painfully curious to see what was on the other side, but after his and Abby's year in the past, that desire was more than sufficiently quelled. He looked in her direction, seated next to him as Matt drove with Emily in the passenger seat. She was watching him.

"What?" he questioned, his brow furrowing.

She smiled indulgently and lay her hand on his thigh. "I can practically see the wheels turning inside your head. There's a light in your eyes I haven't seen for a while. Not since before New Dawn."

He smiled back and nodded his head. "Same old mystery, yeah? Even after all these years, there's still something new to see and to learn. It's exciting, in a way. The danger aside, it's what me n' Cutter loved about the anomalies."

"My old Connor, knew he was in there still."

"Yeah." He became a little bashful then, feeling her love radiate out towards him.

"Don't worry, I love my Connor no matter what sort he is."

!*!*!

Becker and his men had arrived on scene first and done a reconnaissance for any creature incursion or people in the area. The anomalies were set around a circle in the middle of a field inhabiting an expanse of approximately fifty feet in diameter. It was an impressive display and Connor found himself gaping at the sight. Then, he did a double take.

"There's a gap!" he exclaimed. "Look!" He was right. The twelve anomalies were spread out evenly save for one spot where a thirteenth was missing.

"Now that is strange," Matt spoke, heading towards the ring of lights. "What's the dating calculator say?"

Connor took the device from his jacket pocked and activated it. He studied it as it took its readings. "Freaky..."

"Yes?"

"They all lead to the same time, 'bout four thousand years ago. That means no creature incursions to worry about, that's a relief. We don't have to lock them down straight away. I wouldn't mind collecting some data first."

"Be my guest. Just don't get too close, don't want you tripping through."

"That's what Abby's for, she can hold on to me belt and keep me on my feet!" He grinned at this wife and she playfully cuffed the back of his head. "Ow!"

"You know, it's really quite beautiful," Emily mused as she linked arms with Matt and followed Connor and Abby into the center of the phenomenon.

"In its own way, I suppose," Matt replied. "I'd always been taught that they meant destruction and death, but you're right. They are naturally occurring after all, it's a wonder to be sure."

Ahead of them Abby stood behind Connor with her hands upon either side of his hips, looking over his shoulder as he took readings with his tablet computer. She next looked away and beheld the shimmering lights of the anomalies. A certain fear still coursed through her at the sight of them. These ones were small compared to others they'd seen, standing little more than ten feet tall. However, their strange configuration held portents she did not like. She lay her cheek to the back on of Connor's shoulder and breathed in his scent. Her arms wound around his waist of their own volition and she hugged him tight. There was something in the air that disturbed her deeply and the need to hold fast to her husband was nearly overwhelming her.

"Abby?" Connor questioned, turning around in her arms and setting the tablet and dating calculator down on the ground. He cupped her face with his free hand. "What's the matter? You look scared."

"Connor, I have to tell you something..." she began, but her words fell away as everyone's attention was drawn away quickly to the vacant gap in the circle. Another anomaly had opened, the circle was complete. Blinding white light consumed those at the center of the circle and moments later, all the anomalies were gone, having taken Connor, Abby, Emily and Matt with them.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Connor stumbled but kept his balance and the death grip he had around Abby. The dating calculator and tablet computer were gone, but he didn't care. All that mattered was that Abby was with him. He was disoriented and his eyes were having trouble adjusting to the darkness that now surrounded them. Abby fingers dug into his back and she cleaved to him. A short distance away Emily and Matt were in a similar embrace. When the initial shock of their transportation began to ebb, they took in their surroundings.

It was as if they'd been taken into an ancient legend. They stood under the light of a full and ominous moon that dominated the indigo sky scattered with stars. Around them in a perfect circle stood thirteen megalithic stones where the anomalies had once been. Now instead of being surrounded by abandoned warehouses, they were deep within a dense wood full of old oaks and willows. Too many questions and thoughts raced through Connor's mind, but he felt Abby's hot breath panting against his neck and all thoughts turned to her. He cupped her face and locked eyes with her. They could see better now they'd adjusted, the silver of the moon illuminating all in a haunting blue. He stroked the apples of her cheeks with his thumbs and willed her not to cry, because if she did, he'd not be able to prevent himself from doing the same.

"We're together," he spoke, low but strong. "That's all that matters, right?"

"Right," she replied, matching his confidence. She closed her hands around his wrists and he drew her near and kissed her. Their moment was abruptly halted by a sudden, mournful cry from deep in the thick of the forest. Matt and Emily had heard it too and approached Connor and Abby. The sound was made again and was prolonged.

"Oh god," Abby gasped. "It's a baby crying!" There was no hesitation. Abby broke from the group and ran after the horrid echo of distress.

"Abby!" Connor hissed, immediately following. Emily and Matt pursued as Abby rushed blindly towards the increasingly mournful wails. They broke through a thick gathering of brush, nearly colliding all together. Abby stood panting, staring at the source of the terrible noise. It wasn't a baby at all but instead a large hare whose hind leg was caught in a vicious snare and trying desperately to free itself. She approached, determined to free it, but it screamed all the louder. With trembling hands, Abby knelt and tried to untangle its paw from the biting noose that was cutting into its flesh.

As its blood stained her fingers it continued to scream. None of them had ever heard anything so unsettling in all their lives. Abby's tears ran unchecked down her cheeks. Nothing upset her more than seeing an animal in distress. Connor knelt down beside her and brushed her hands away. As he worked the knot in her stead, Abby cajoled the hare by stroking its long ears and whiskers as she talked to it. Remarkably, it calmed.

Connor was just managing to loosen the snare when the sounds of voices and the beat of many footfalls echoed through the woods. Suddenly there were several torches coming into view.

"Someone's coming, lots of someones!" warned Matt. "We need to go, now!"

"Almost..." Connor grit out, the hare's blood making his fingers slip around the cord.

"Please Conn, get him free," Abby begged, even as Matt took hold of her upper arm and hauled her to her feet.

"There!" exclaimed Connor and off the hare dashed into the thick of the brush. He linked hands with Abby and the four of them dashed off into the forest, away from the approaching newcomers.

It was all for naught when they broke into a clearing and found at least a dozen spears held aloft with their gleaming points of bronze ready to run them through. The four travellers set their backs against each others in defense to cover all four directions as they were surrounded. Their captors were humans, just like them, no different. They were of similar stature to the quartet and were it not for the weapons, fighting their way out might've been a consideration. As it was, Abby's hands had closed into fists.

"Any suggestions?" Connor asked. "We're seriously outnumbered."

More members of the clan appeared around the perimeter, all dressed in their similar garb of leather and wool adjourned with bronze and gold finery. In no time flat they were surrounded by at least forty men ranging from teens to in and around their forties. Most were dark haired, but some with a lighter brown cropped up among the group.

"Surrender," spoke Matt. "We can't fight them all. We'll see what they have in store for us and make our escape when we can, hopefully before sunrise."

They all hated to do it, but relented and held up their arms in defeat. They were ushered along, flanked and encompassed by the men. Behind them they carried more than a dozen slain wild boar as well as a mighty stag, the obvious reason for their excursion in the woods. They'd been on the hunt and were returning home with their kill. When one of them, a young one, reached out to stroke Abby's pale blond hair, she shoved him into a tree. He came at her again, embarrassed and enraged and she popped him in the nose with her fist. He made for her again, but this time both Connor and an older clansman stepped in between them. From that point on, Connor kept her near with his arm around her shoulders. He knew full well she could take care of herself, but he wanted to make it abundantly clear his wife was off limits.

The walk wasn't far, mercifully, and after a half an hour or so, they came upon a settlement. Many small huts of stone and thatch were spread out and interspersed with long tents of stretched white leathers around wooden frames. Several pit fires burned and children ran about everywhere. The four felt a measure of relief upon learning that they were at least among a group that allowed their children to run and play as they wished. A fair little girl of about three years old came running up to them and threw her chubby arms around Abby's leg. She couldn't help but smile down at the child with her big dark eyes, even as her mother rushed forwards to pull her away. Abby watched them go until they disappeared into the throng of villagers and furrowed her brow at the sight of the little doll made of wool the child had clutched in her hand. With its long white ears it was unmistakably that of a rabbit.

As their were taken down a sloping hill, the people emerged from their homes and began to follow until they were were hundreds strong. Beyond the village lay a vast field in the center of which stood a stone platform. Thirteen pillars stood in the same configurations as the standing stones had where they'd been brought through the anomalies to this time. The pillars were constructed from bundles of tall dried grass and stood no taller or wider than a man. Further piles of twined hay were piled between the upright ones, all surrounding the stone slab at the center. Beyond that circle was another, one far more light and festive. Elderberry blossoms, borage, white poppies, and dandelion were strew about in massive colourful heaps. Lanterns fashioned from metal hung from the surrounding trees. Truth be told, it was extremely beautiful a setting and Connor, Abby, Matt and Emily were feeling increasingly at ease.

Connor looked up to the skies and the moon. "It's a festival," he stated. "It must be, the full moon n' all that. Plus the altar and the circles. God, we better not be the human sacrifice!"

"Hush," Abby admonished, but tightened her arm around his waist. "We weren't meant to be here, we're not a part of it. Whatever they have planned for tonight shouldn't be altered just because we're here. A festival like this is weeks and months in its preparations."

"With luck, we'll simply be witness to a Springtime festival and be treated as guests," Emily spoke hopefully, clinging to Matt. He kept her close like Connor did Abby, not so trusting as the young Victorian.

The field was bathed in brilliant white light from the moon. The entire village had gathered - the farmers, the warriors, the women and children, the elderly and then the most revered members of the clan, their sages. They numbered nine, six men and three women. The men were for the most part nearly the end of their lives, but two were as young as Connor. The women were past their prime and one was a wretched old crone who needed aid to walk. Her hair nearly brushed the ground as she stooped and her thick knuckled hands curled over a set of canes.

The four from the future stood at the edge of the circle, still guarded by the men who'd found them in the forest. Out of the corner of her eye Abby saw a flash of white and whipped her head around just in time to see a fluffy cotton tailed rabbit dart into the wood. She'd seen the hare, the girl's toy and now the wild rabbit. Something about it upset her. She shivered in the cool night air and felt both of Connor's arms close around her. "I've got you," he whispered against her ear.

What followed certainly got the attention of the four interlopers. Twenty or so beautiful young maidens robed in pale yellow with garlands of honeysuckle and violets crowning their heads, gathered between the circles of hay and of flowers. A moment later their robes were shed and they stood nude before the hundreds gathered. They formed a line and waited as the old crone came forth. One by one the old woman looked upon the women, then with her gnarled hand, lay it to their abdomens and spoke words in her ancient tongue. In the end half were dismissed, leaving twelve. A hum came over the crowd, one that clearly spoke of discontent. Then in an eerie, otherworldly motion, the woman glided swiftly across the field, seemingly as if blown by the breeze and settled herself before Emily.

Emily's eyes widened in horror as the woman's blind white eyes stared lifelessly at her. Matt dared not take action but manoeuvered Emily behind him and away. She waved Emily off with a sweep of her hand and moved straight to Abby. The men closed in around Abby and Connor, disabling any escape. Abby shook with fear and recoiled as the crone's hand reached out to touch her as she had the other young women.

The decision was made with a bark from the elder. Abby would be the thirteenth. She was taken from Connor, her nails scoring the skin of his forearms as they were pulled apart.

"No!" Abby screamed, over and over, as she was dragged across the field, kicking and flailing against the two strong men that held her. It took four to restrain Connor as he screamed for his wife. More held back Matt and Emily as they fought to help their friend. They watched on in horror as Abby was stripped bare and thrust into line with the other women. The two warriors remained, keeping Abby from escaping. She kicked and bit at them, but one wrapped his hand in the long tendrils of her golden hair and pulled her head back. They bruised her arms as she fought their hold, but she wasn't strong enough to break free.

Meanwhile, Connor struggled so violently the four men restraining him could barely keep hold of him. Matt fought just as urgently and when he nearly slipped free, he earned a bludgeoning to the head and was dropped unconscious to the ground. Emily had been hedging her bets and had stopped fighting against their captors, standing silent and stoic, trying to think of a way that her friends could be rescued. However when Matt was rendered unconscious, her loyalties were divided.

Abby and Connor had kept their eyes on each other as best they could, but when a procession began descending from the top of the hill, all turned to the one making his way down towards the sacred space. He stood taller than the rest, so far as Connor and Abby could tell from the distance. His broad bare chest was ingrained with pictograms carved into his flesh and filled with pigment for scars to grow over and permanently colour. A boar, complete with tusks roared across his chest, while spirals and other archaic symbols flowed down his muscular arms. Other symbols had been painted on his skin in what appeared to be blood. Around his waist was a decorated kilt of leather held by a bronze belt of linked medallions carved with more symbols. Atop his head he wore a crown to which the antlers of a stag were affixed. His face was young but his eyes were hard and intimidating. Whether he was the Chief, a King or their strongest Warrior, he was the one this night was for.

The man cast a glance at Connor, who raged with all the power he possessed. It was obvious what the maidens were for, the ones Abby had been forced to be one of. The clan's finest male was to select a mate. He turned to the women, with their dark hair and buxom bodies and dismissed them after a glance. Abby was new and exotic and had the fire he sought. He came to her and looked over her delectable nude body before cupping her bare breast in his hand and thumbing her nipple. She twisted from his touch and spat in his face. He wiped his face and with an angry glare slapped his hand to her abdomen and spoke words in a threatening tone. He spoke an order to his men and Abby was lifted from the ground and carried towards the stone altar. She fought them with all her might and cried out when her back was slammed to the cold unyielding surface. The man threw off his leathers to reveal his erect cock.

"Connor!" Abby screamed as she continued to struggle, but her panic was overwhelming. her. The leader turned to Abby and climbed atop the altar as his men took hold of her legs at her knees and spread her open. "Connor!"

The fear and rage building up inside Connor had reached a boiling point. He was not going to allow his beloved wife to be raped and used. At the moment of complete despair, clarity and rationality suddenly returned to him. He was still wearing the gloves. With a few deft flicks of his thumbs, his devices came to life. He stopped struggling, letting his captors think he'd given up, then with one last surge of strength pushed his hands to their thighs and let the volts course through them. The electricity travelled through them and their bodies spasmed before going limp. Connor administered the same to the other two that held him and seconds later he was racing across the field to his wife.

The clan's man heard the gasps and warnings of his people and turned to face the danger. The woman's man was free and he recognized the challenge in this eyes. He'd seen in the eyes of the mighty stag he'd slain as it protected his mate and their fawn. He wore its antlers upon his crow. He'd dispatch with this one just as easily, this time with his bare hands. He saw his men raise their spears to lance at the man racing to the altar and halted them with a single command. He wanted this quarry for himself. He'd kill the man, and take his woman for himself. She'd bear his children and be his chattel and in time would forget she'd ever belonged to anyone else. He rolled his shoulders forward and welcomed the onslaught.

Connor knew he was outmatched. The other man was heavily muscled and likely spent most of his time hunting and killing. It didn't matter to Connor, he'd save his Abby and by luck he'd only have to touch the other man to do it. For Abby he'd fight to the death if need be, but he hoped it wouldn't come to that. As he careened into the warrior he heard Abby scream his name again, but her cry remained in the periphery of his consciousness. He felt the crushing grip of the other man's hands close about his shoulders, but Connor kept his forward momentum and slammed his open palms to the man's chest.

Electricity, pure and and hot, coursed through the clansman's body and a split second later he was flying through the air, propelled by the energy emitting from Connor's device. Connor had set it to full power. He wasn't sure if the man was going to die from what he'd just done, but he couldn't bring himself to care in that moment.

Connor's opponent landed in the crowd, having been thrown beyond the two circles that encompassed the altar. Connor found himself about to be stabbed through with a dozen spears or blades when the old crone who orchestrated the entire night's rituals raised her voice in protest. All fell silent and listened as she bandied back and forth with her fellow sages until they all seemed to agree upon the next course of action. Abby still lay prone and subdued upon the altar and Connor was once again held by the strong arms of the clan's warriors. He growled when he found that there was no charge left in the gloves. They had only been prototypes after all.

What proceeded confused both Connor and Abby. He was stripped of his own clothing and left as naked and vulnerable as she. The couple stared at each other with fear and concern. The ritual would continue only now instead of the clan's chosen one, Connor would serve as the male counterpart to Abby. He had defeated their best man and would been given the chosen woman. It was little comfort, but at the very least Abby would be spared a violation at a stranger's hand. Connor cast her a sorrowful look and Abby's eyes shone with tears. To these people this was a sacred rite in honour of the turning of the seasons, bringing forth new life with the conception of a child, but to Connor and Abby it was a crime against them. The choice to conceive was being taken from them. They'd talked about having children and wanted them, but in their own time on their own terms. There was no escape. If Connor couldn't be made to claim Abby then surely another would be chosen.

"Abby?" Connor questioned. "What do we..."

"Do?" Abby replied, helplessly. "Nothing. There's nothing we can do."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"It's okay, Connor. It'll be just you n' me," Abby assured him, despite being terrified herself.

"I'm sorry," he replied sorrowfully.

"I know."

He wanted to go to her then, but they would not let him. The ritual that the defeated warrior had gone through had to be performed upon Connor in order to sanctify the union. It was then that the sages drew near. One held up a small young hare by its hind legs, it looked dazed and barely alive. The youngest of the sages drew out a blade, intent on slitting the animals' throat as part of the ritual. Abby closed her eyes when the dagger pierced its flesh and it let out a burbled cry as its life left him. The blood was caught in a bowl and after it was drained the animal was taken away to be skinned and roasted as part of the feast that would follow the main event.

Connor stood as immobile as a statue as they painted his body with sacred symbols out of blood. He breathed heavily through his nose and kept his eyes locked with Abby's. He'd abide this bizarre torment so long as ultimately Abby remained his. The blood was still hot and the smell sickened him as the fingers of the various sages, the women included, decorated his nude body. The tension of keeping himself composed caused him to break out in a sweat.

The rejected maidens from earlier were summoned back and three were chosen. Connor pushed his heels into the ground, trying to move his body away from them as they knelt before him and each began to tongue and caress his flaccid cock. He ordered them to stop, to leave him alone, but they ignored him. The veins in his neck stood out as he resisted, but the stimulation was overcoming him and his body began to respond.

"Abby! Abby I'm sorry, I don't want this!" he cried, continuing to try and twist away. "Abby, please!"

When one of the women took her husband's half-hard cock in her mouth and began to suck him, Abby found herself possessed by a sudden, nearly inhuman strength. No woman had a right to touch her man, especially not _that_ part of his body. Fueled by adrenaline, she twisted one leg free of her captor's grasp and brought it back, sending her heel firmly into his nose. Bloody spurted from it and he let go of her arm to hold his broken nose. She pulled the other man in and her fist connected with his nose with a satisfying crunch. She was free and seconds later pulled the supposed maiden off her husband by the roots of her hair and tossed her aside. She kicked away the other two and then Abby grabbed for Connor and crushed her mouth to his. She pressed her naked body flush to against him, uncaring of the hare's blood staining her skin.

Connor was released and his arms went around her body as their tongues dueled. With adrenaline coursing through their veins they clawed at each other's flesh, finding a temporary sanctuary in the familiarity of each other. Now that the couple had engaged, the sages and the rest of the clan retreated. In the periphery drums began to beat a steady and ambitious rhythm.

Abby felt Connor's cock lengthen and fill out as it was pressed between their two bodies. Their surroundings seemed to fade away as their passion for each other consumed them. Fueled by the beat of the drums and Connor's hands delving the cheeks of her arse and the wet folds of her sex, Abby felt her arousal and adrenaline surge. The passion however was instantly quelled as the sages returned and took hold of them and ushered them towards the altar, gesticulating furiously towards the moon. Evidently time was running out.

They were pushed towards the altar, clinging to each other and feeling the stress and urgency of the entire clan through their chants and calls. The beat of the drums became increasingly more intense and the sages were already selecting potential alternatives to Connor if he wasn't up to the task. He gripped her body to the point of bruising her flesh, more than it already had been.

"Abby..." Connor questioned, looking at her with concern. Neither one of them wanted this, but it seemed they had little choice in the matter.

"Please, Conn. It's has to be you," Abby spoke, touching her hand to his face. "It you don't, you know what'll happen. Forget about everyone else and just be with me."

He nodded and kissed her again, this time tenderly, as he backed her towards the altar. She parted from him briefly to climb atop it and settle herself on her back on the cold, unyielding stone. Connor lay himself over her, but couldn't shake the horrid knowledge that hundreds of pairs of eyes were upon them.

Abby herself was a wreck, but she kept it hidden from him. She didn't want this any more than Connor, but out of the pair of them, she was the strong, practical one. Connor followed her lead in dangerous situations and this was no different.

"Connor, when we were in the Cretaceous and we had that terrible lightning storm, we had to find a way to survive it. The creatures were rampaging, lightning was hitting the trees and the ground all around us. The rain was coming down in sheets. We were cold and terrified. Somehow we managed to switch off everything else and just concentrate on each other. We have to do that now." She locked eyes with him and saw understanding come to him. A moment later she cried out as he penetrated her. He reared up and pushed deeper until he'd sheathed himself completely, then went heavy on her. Abby struggled for breath and gripped tightly to his biceps. Connor took hold of one of her legs by the knee and positioned it over his hip. Abby obliged and locked both around his waist.

The world around them faded away and became only each other. They kept their gazes fixated together and began to rock back and forth to the beat of the drums. The hard stone beneath Abby was merciless and allowed no relief from the pressure of Connor inside her. Every push into her body made her gasp and as she exhaled, Connor breathed her in. The heat of his breath against her lips came with the beat of the drums and in turn she drew him into her lungs. The rhythm echoed the thrumming of their blood in their veins and Connor's thrusts.

His hands curled into her hair and his breathing turned to grunts as he moved a little faster. The moon rose to its highest point in the sky and Connor and Abby were left alone at the center of the circle. The pillars of hay were lit on fire and the flames spread and encircled them, but the mating pair were too lost in each other to feel fear. The circle burned as a giant wall of fire and inside it were Connor and Abby, being consumed by their rising passions, the mystic pull of the moon and the intense, intoxicating heat of the flames. Sweat poured down their skin and drenched them. Their hair clung to their faces. The sliding and slapping of their drenched bodies together drove the couple ever closer to their ultimate climax. Abby's nails cut half moons into Connor's flesh and his incessant pace scraped her back against the rock.

The inferno surrounding them roared and fueled them with a primal, animalistic energy that took rational thought from their minds. Connor drove into Abby at an increasingly rapid pace, while she bucked her pelvis to crash with his at every entrance into her body. Where they were joined was as scorching hot as the flames and every nerve was exploding into a million points of pleasure that bordered on pain. Both felt their orgasms coming on but just as they'd reach the precipice of falling over the edge, it was lost. What was happening between them was so intense, they could not get past it to the next and ultimate level. Soon, tears joined the sweat running down their faces. It was too much and Abby began to weep. Connor faltered and moved his hand to cup the side of her face, making her look at him again. She shook her head, she couldn't take any more. It had to end.

Connor quieted then, ceasing his punishing thrusts and giving them both a reprieve. He wiped the tears from her eyes and gently stroked her face. She looked up at him pitifully and his heart broke. They loved each other so deeply but even that couldn't quell the fears and discord they felt at having been forced into this. The woosh of the fires mounting around them told them they were trapped until they'd burned themselves out.

"We'll stop. They can't see us anyways," Connor told her.

Abby touched his lips with her fingertips and smiled weakly at him. "Kiss me?" she asked of him. She closed her eyes and welcomed his mouth upon hers. The kiss was soft and demanded nothing. Abby coaxed him to ease his weight from her and he rolled on to his back. As he separated from her body, they both felt the ache of losing the intimate connection. She straddled his thighs and closed her hand around his erection, stroking him up and down, helping him and putting him at rest. The mood shifted and they sought peace and quiet between them despite the maelstrom that surrounded them. Abby moved up and placed her hands upon his chest, and eased him back inside her.

Connor raised himself up and Abby's arms wrapped around his neck. Their lips met and they sunk into each other. One of Connor's hands settled on her hip and massaged her as she slowly moved atop him. His other hand caressed her breast before slipping between them. Her breath hitched as this thumb gently circled the slippery bud of her clit. Abby tensed her inner muscles around him and Connor made a short, wounded sound. The pulled back slightly and met each others eyes once more.

"Almost there, Connor," she spoke with a gasp, the familiar feeling of an impending orgasm returning to coil in her belly.

He sucked in a breath and stared intently at her. "I love you, Abby."

"I... I lo...love..." Her voice faltered and was lost as she finally hit her peak. Her back arched, her head fell back and her jaw trembled as she was thrown into the abyss. Her fingers pressed into the flesh of his back and Abby knew nothing more than the exquisite pulsing of her core around her husband's cock and was rewarded moments later by the sensation of him coming inside her.

Connor tensed and then his entire body shuddered as he came. As he filled his wife with his release, he realized there was no turning back time. If the old hag's predictions were right, this was the moment he and Abby would conceive a child. He loved her completely and would welcome their creation, but even as his body succumbed to the ecstasy of his orgasm, he couldn't help the regret that settled within him.

Slowly, they came back to themselves and held each other in the aftermath. The fire still burned around them, but was dying down and would extinguish within the hour. Gingerly, Abby moved to Connor's side and tucked herself into tight ball with her back to him. Connor formed his body to hers and cocooned her in his limbs and held her in a protective embrace. Completely exhausted and with no present avenue for escape, they gave in and allowed themselves to be claimed by a deep, dreamless sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The first knowledge either Connor or Abby had after having fallen asleep after their mating, was Emily's gentle hands covering their naked bodies with stolen homespun robes. Emily closed her hand over Abby's mouth as she came to and put her finger to her lips to indicate she must stay quiet. Matt was there too, his shirt collar stained with blood from the blow to his head. Pulling the long tunics over themselves, the couple crawled down from the altar and staggered from the pain of their tense and sore limbs. They took in their surroundings as Emily and Matt led them away. The moon was fading and the faintest lightening of the sky appeared on the horizon as dawn neared. The village was for the most part quiet, the majority of the people having gone to their homes. Various men lay drunk against trees with the women they'd claimed the night before, others sat in the field in quiet reverence of the moon. Some were milling about, enjoying the quiet of the early morning. The sages that had orchestrated the previous night's festival sat together in a circle speaking in hushed tones.

It seemed that the travellers had been forgotten, but a new fear inside Abby hastened her steps as the four disappeared into the forest. Would the "gods" be satisfied enough that the fertility rite had taken place, or would the clan want the child the sages seemed so determined to have come into being? The idea that these people could ever lay their hands on hers and Connor's baby made her blood run cold.

Barefoot and directionless, the pair followed after Emily and Matt as they were led away from the village.

"Matt, can you get us back to the standing stones?" Connor asked in a hoarse whisper, looking behind them to the horizon and the sliver of light that streaked across it. He sought for and found Abby's hand, grasping it in his own. He was relieved when she didn't pull away. "I have a theory. It's just come to me."

"I think so, we followed a path for the most part, we should be able to retrace our steps," Matt surmised. "Are you two alright?"

"As well as can be expected," Abby spoke wearily.

"They rendered Matt unconscious. I stayed with him," Emily explained, knowing Abby understood it was an attempt to ease any tension that may have existed between them over what had transpired. Abby smiled gratefully at her friend.

"We need to hurry, before the sun rises," Connor urged. "It might be our only chance to get home."

"We can go home?" Abby asked hopefully. Connor squeezed her hand.

"It's just an idea, probably a daft one, but we have to get back to the stones before the sun's up."

"Best get moving then," nodded Matt, taking Emily's hand.

It was a race against dawn. They got turned around more than once and were ever fearful that they'd be sought by the clan once their absence was perceived. They were further hindered by Connor and Abby's lack of shoes on their feet, often having to stop to pull a thorn or something similar from their soles. The first breach of the sun above the horizon had the couples running through the forest to the center of the stones once the monument was spotted. They skidded to a halt within the circle just as the sun's first rays fell upon the site. The light grew ever brighter as one by one the thirteen anomalies opened. Abby held fast to Connor and trembled violently as they were consumed.

!*!*!

It was night in London. As Becker and his men locked down the thirteen anomalies, the four who'd been returned home looked up at the rising full moon and counted themselves exceptionally lucky.

"It's the equinox," Connor spoke, breaking the silence. "Only happens a couple times a year. The moon or the sun lines up with the lay lines when the axis of the Earth is just right, the same ones the anomalies fall along. It must have something to do with the stones too, their positions or what sort of minerals make 'em up, but of course they're gone now so we'll never know. I thought maybe if the full moon'd opened them in our daytime, the sun would... well, it worked."

The silence returned and they felt the weight of their sojourn in the past upon them. Abby closed her eyes and leaned against Connor. They stood together as Matt gave a brief and incomplete explanation to Becker as to what had happened, promising more in a report later. Emily wanted him to be looked at by the medics in case of a concussion. At length Abby decided she'd had enough and asked that she and Connor be driven home. For most everyone gathered, the unexpected peril had ended, but Abby knew that for her and Connor, it may have only just begun.

!*!*!

They came back to the flat in the dead of night. It was a stroke of pure luck that Abby had left her set of keys in the ARC vehicle or they'd have been lost like Connor's were. As it was their mobiles were gone along with Connor's wallet. They'd all been lost in the past, thrown on the fire along with their boots, clothing and Connor's prototype gloves. They didn't bother to turn on any lights as they made their way inside. Abby walked on past Connor as he locked up, and headed straight to the bathroom. When she closed the door behind her, Connor knew he was not invited to join her for her shower. With a heavy heart he made his way to the en suite off their bedroom. He stripped off the borrowed white robe and put it in the bin, taking out the liner and fastening it closed. He didn't want to have to see the old homespun again. It would remind him of their ordeal and it was all he could do to put it out of his head. He felt vulnerable and violated - not by what he and Abby had done, but by having been forced to do it. He stepped into the shower and turned it on, placing his palms on the glass of the stall and putting his head under the hot water. He closed his eyes so as not to witness the hare's blood washing down the drain.

!*!*!

Abby finished her shower, her body clean of the hare's blood, hers and Connor's sweat as well as the remnants of their spendings on her inner thighs. Her heart ached. She wanted to go to him, to hold him and to cry. She felt vulnerable and lost and needed her husband to steady her, but she couldn't go to him yet. She dried herself off and wrapped a towel around her hair before pulling on her robe. Next, she went to her makeup bag and pulled out the little box she'd hidden there four days ago. She supposed now was as good a time as any to have her suspicions confirmed or denied. She owed it to Connor to know for certain before they next spoke.

!*!*!

Connor was pulling on a fresh pair of boxer shorts when Abby came into the bedroom.

"Hey," he said softly, standing by his dresser as she stood ten feet from him in her robe with her arms wrapped around herself.

"Hey," was her quiet reply. She shivered slightly. They'd been gone all day and the central heating hadn't been turned up. Their still damp hair didn't help matters, there was a chill in the air.

"We okay?" Connor asked, taking a few steps towards her. Abby nodded and closed the distance between them. They caught each other up in a possessive hug. She kissed his bare shoulder.

"We'll always be okay, Conn. We can get through anything so long as we do it together. It's no different this time."

Connor closed his eyes and squeezed her tight. They held each other for a long time, until Abby drew back and took his hand, leading him over to sit on the bed with her. She threaded their fingers together and held his hand in her lap. Her cheek dropped to his shoulder and she curled up against his side.

"What is it, love?" Connor asked, laying his free hand over both of theirs.

"I'm pregnant," she spoke finally.

Connor sighed. "Abby, we don't know for sure yet. It can't have happened that quickly, you know that. Besides, you're on birth control, might not happen at all. Are your instincts telling you that you are? Is that it?"

She shook her head and reached into the pocket of her robe, presenting him with the pregnancy test she'd taken before she'd come up to their room. It was positive. Birth control or not, it had happened.

"Do you remember, just before the thirteenth anomaly opened, that I said I had something to tell you? This was it. I've suspected for a few days, got the test right away but was too nervous to take it. But, I wanted to know for sure, so you'd not think it happened tonight when I told you later. I couldn't keep it to myself though, once I knew for sure."

Connor was shaken and pulled his hands from her. For a moment he could tell that she thought he was distancing himself from her, but when he then pulled her into his embrace she caved. She sniffled and cowered against his chest, her shoulders shaking from trying to keep her tears at bay.

"Are you not happy about becoming a mum? Is that it?"

"No, of course not. I want to have your child, Connor. It's just been a strange, terrible day. I'm exhausted, sad, confused and scared. What happened between us is not something I have ill feelings about. I wanted you. You wanted me. You're my husband and we were protecting each other. But we didn't have much choice under the circumstances and that's upset me very much. I'd have preferred not for us to have had sex in front of an entire village in some sort of sacred rite, but at least it was with you. The alternatives are to awful to even imagine. Listen, can we lie down for a while?"

"Course we can." They rose together and Abby discarded her robe before climbing under the duvet. Connor followed and lay himself on his side next to her. His fingers toyed with her hair for a time, then stroked the plain of her face while she looked up at him. He was apprehensive at first, then came to his decision and tentatively reached under the duvet to place his hand upon her lower abdomen. "I want you to know something. I love the baby already. We conceived in our own time, in our own bed. Just you n' me, no one else, no one watching, no one making us."

Abby gave him a watery smile and let out a shaky breath. "It's going to take a while to shake what's happened."

"I know."

"But we will."

"Yeah, love, we will."

They kissed then, tremulous and tender, savouring each other and the comfort they brought.

Abby lay her hand upon Connor's neck and stroked the edge of his jaw. "What are we going to do? I can't go out in the field any longer."

"No, you can't, it's too much of a risk. I won't either. I'll not leave our son or daughter without their father. We'll make changes, we'll adjust. We'll do what's best for our family, for each other's peace of mind."

"I need some, that's for sure. It's almost too much. I can barely wrap my head around that fact that we're going to be parents."

"Everything's going to change, for the better I hope."

"It will. I love the baby already too - because it's yours and because when we made them the only thing on our minds was showing each other how we felt."

"We can hold on to that..."

"When we can't stop ourselves from remembering tonight. Oh, Connor..." She turned into him, burying her face to his chest. His arms came around her and he held her. He rubbed her back and kissed the crown of her head.

"Get some rest. You'll feel better in the morning."

!*!*!

When Abby awoke the next morning she did in fact feel better. She'd slept the night through and hadn't had the nightmares she'd feared would come. Connor was pressed flush to her back, snoring lightly against the nape of her neck. His hand was splayed possessively over her abdomen and he held her tightly against his body. Sunlight welcomed her and as she gently extricated herself from her husband's hold, she found herself smiling. But then a thick ache twinged in her body from the fresh bruises she'd sustained in her vigorous mating with Connor. Those were in addition to ones where she'd been held down against her will. She sighed as she pulled on her robe on and tied the sash. She gave her flat stomach an affectionate rub. Despite what they'd experienced the night before, this morning she couldn't help but be filled with hope for hers and Connor's future. They'd been tested once more and come through it closer as a bonded pair, just as it had been with the Cretaceous and New Dawn.

As Connor slept on, she moved through their flat, imagining how it would be with the laughter and spirit of their little one filling it. As she pictured their would-be child, Abby found herself feeling a little bit of that peace of mind Connor had spoken about the night before. She went about her morning routine, then made herself a cup of tea and went to stand by the large French doors that led to their small garden. Now that Spring had come Abby could see the crocuses blooming and the daffodils ready to pop in the flowerbeds by the wall. The tall cedars that enclosed the area made it nice and private, allowing them to be able to lounge on the expanse of lawn that had become lush in the year since they'd laid down the turf. They'd taken the time to work together to make their little spot of nature in the city a perfect oasis.

Abby closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. Their second sojourn into the past had been no less terrifying because they'd been amongst humans instead of dinosaurs. She'd be haunted by it for years, just like she'd been by their time in the Cretaceous. However when her thoughts shifted and she looked forward to the summer when her belly would be swollen with her growing baby, she gleaned a little more peace. She could lay on the grass in the sun with Connor beside her, doting on her and talking to their unborn son or daughter. It was a happy dream, one she very much wanted to come true. She sighed. It wasn't going to be an easy one to come by. Their lives weren't conducive to being carefree. However, she also knew between them, she and Connor could see it done by taking it one day at a time, just like they had since that fateful day in the Forest of Dean. They'd come so far and had so much further yet to go.

She opened her eyes and was startled, her happy daydream shattered. Sitting tall at the very end of the garden was a large hare. She nearly dropped her cup and barely managed to set it down on the window sill to her right. With its long ears and tawny fur, it stared at her. Abby stared back, an awful fear rising up inside her. What was a wild hare doing in the heart of London? She'd never be able to associate the sight of them without remembering the thirteen anomalies and all that had followed. Her arms closed around her stomach, protecting her baby from whatever malevolent portents the hare's appearance held.

After a time, it turned from her, seemingly satisfied to have got her attention, and bounded away under the trees and out of sight. As it went, what Abby saw shook to her core. It's hind leg was stained with blood. Could it truly have been the same hare that she and Connor had saved from the snare? Had it somehow followed them through the anomaly home? How had it to come to her? Why? Abby was astonished and then quite suddenly she knew the answer to her questions. Her tears came on with a smile. The hare hadn't brought ill tidings with it, but gratitude instead. It had come to give thanks and she knew it down to her soul. With this knowledge also came hope and Abby felt peace once again.

"Abby?" came Connor's voice behind her. She turned around to behold him as he staggered towards her, all doleful and sleepy-eyed. He yawned and ran his fingers through the tangled mess of his hair. Still dressed in only the boxers he'd slept in, Abby thought him the most beautiful person she'd ever laid eyes on. She walked to him and closed her arms around his neck and squeezed him tight. Connor's wrapped her up in a hug as he lifted her off her feet. They drew back and smiled at each other, with Connor searching her eyes for reassurance that she was okay.

"Good morning," she spoke, her fingers curling into the hair at the base of his neck.

"Morning," he replied as he brushed his lips across hers. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm good, and happy now that you're with me. Can we not go into the ARC today?"

"Told Matt last night we weren't. Thought maybe we deserved a quiet day at home."

"I'd like that, very much. We can talk about how we'd like to decorate the baby's room."

Connor's smile deepened and he leaned in for another kiss. When they parted, Connor hugged her again and Abby closed her eyes and basked in his warmth and his love. So long as they protected and held fast to each other, there was nothing they could not endure. At the same time, together they would share the things that made all the strife they'd experienced worth it. Before the year was out, they'd be rewarded with their ultimate gift to each other in the form of the child they'd made together. A child whose conception deserved to be celebrated properly.

Abby pulled away from Connor and took his hand hers, leading him back towards the bedroom.

"Where we going?" he asked, still rather sleepy and not quite understanding her intent. She paused and kissed his lips once more, this time cupping his cock through his boxers and giving him a judicious rub.

"Back to bed," she cooed. "Make love to me? Just like you did the time we made the baby."

"And how was that?" Connor scooped her up into his arms, dragging his lips over the skin of her throat and chest.

"Same way you always do, no matter where or _when_ we are, Connor. With love."

"Always, Abby, always."

The End


End file.
